


Shakespearean Debate

by watchoutforthefanfics



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Canon Gay Character, Child Abandonment, Child Neglect, M/M, References to Shakespeare
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2019-09-22 05:33:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17054117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watchoutforthefanfics/pseuds/watchoutforthefanfics
Summary: Roman Elliott, possibly the biggest drama queen in the school, has taken his place as the President of "Shakespeare's Peers" on every Thursday night. Virgil, a regular peasant in the crowd, usually just goes along with whatever he says (Shakespeare-wise, safety-wise is another story). Until, the fateful day that a tale of star-crossed lovers was brought into attention, in which Virgil refuses to agree with the other. Splitting the class in two, what if fiction just so happens to cross with reality?





	1. Part One

It was a misty afternoon at Storytime High, the rain pounding on the metal roof with an echo of thunder in the air. But deep within the dimly lit halls, the words of passionate theater kids scrambled down the the hallways.

Where is it coming from, you may ask?

The Shakespeare Club in Room 19.

◇◇◇

Virgil sat in the very back of the warmly-lit classroom, his hood up and drawn. He wasn't forced into this club; well, he kinda was but he enjoyed the discussions.

"Kiddo?" A familiar voice echoed through the room to his ears, "Everything alright?"

Virgil smiled weakly, "I'm... fine." Patton frowned at him, a flash of concern through his eyes but he couldn't do anything about it.

In response, Logan placed a soft hand on his husband's arm try to calm him. (Patton was very attached to his students, while Logan said they held a special place in his heart, he often played the "bad cop".)

"Excuse me," the class drama queen, or king rather, cleared his throat, "-we were discussing the intricacies of Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet'." Logan frowned, stern glance fleeing towards Roman, "That was inexplicably rude, one of your fellow "club mates" seems to be troubled and you just shut them down?" Patton squeezed Logan's wrist, and Virgil noticed the princely boy staring at him.

"Well, Virgil-" Roman started, huffing with his nose to the air, "-would probably turn down our help anyway." Patton scolded, "Roman, that's not very ni-" Roman retaliated, "What? He's just a bit too cynical for my tastes, he shuts down our greatest performances!" He couldn't hold back anymore, launching up so fast that his hood slid from his head, "You wanted to use FIRE on our WOODEN stage!"

Roman muttered, "We would use the proper safety procautions!" To which the darker boy countered, "REAL SWORDS."

"Okay," Roman huffed, "-well, what about that one production of Romeo and Juliet when you didn't let us use a balcony?!" Virgil flinched, "Someone could've fallen and gotten hurt, I didn't want that to happen." Roman snorted, "On the rare instance! All I'm saying is you need to take a chill pill for once, and not worry so much, Panic At The Everywhere."

The whole room fell quiet, as Virgil sunk back into his seat, drawing his hoodie back up with shaky hands. Patton glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, but Virgil decided to ignore it.

Roman's voice bubbled up to the surface, "Oh c'mon guys, I didn't mean it like that. I know he has problems." He shrunk further into his seat, tightening the hood even more, and desperately tried to calm his breathing.

Patton was the next voice he heard, "Well, kids, seems like we're ending practice early. If you need a ride, feel free to call a parent or just hop in my car." Virgil's eyes met his for a moment, as Patton briefly nodded.

The purple-themed boy relaxed, melting slightly into his chair, and holding himself there with no concept of time. He stared at the ceiling, making wonderous doodles of whatever he could that he would never share with the word. His head buzzed with Roman's words, striking a chord deep within his chest. Maybe I should just quit. I'm apparently not useful anyway.

Just as he was knocked back into reality, a snobby voice range through his ears but it wasn't directed toward him, "Mr. Logan, I need a ride home for awhile. My parents will be in Tokyo for the next few months, so I can't be picked up..." Logan's voice countered, "Weren't they out last week too?" Patton added on, "Europe, right?"

Virgil peered out at Roman, curiously. His parents were...? His thoughts were interrupted by Roman's defensive tone, "Yes, they are very... busy." His eyes smoothed across the fanciful boy's troubled face, noting the deep flash of pain tracing his irises. Patton frowned, visibly tightening his laced hand with Logan.

Virgil's eyes met Roman's, a questionable sense of understanding passed between them. Something unusual that forced both boys to turn away with a sense of something fluttering in their chests.

"Well," Patton grinned, "-looks like we have a whole car full today."

Roman launched up, his eyes widened, "Virgil's riding?" There it is, Virgil sighed to himself. The purple-haired boy smirked, "Nervous, Princey?" Roman furrowed his eyebrows, "Did you just call me 'Princey', Emo Nightmare?" Virgil stood, relaxing into his hood, "Just thought I'd return the favor."

◇◇◇

This banter was briefly established, and that day, a steady bond was formed. Not really meant to hurt, more to just aggravate dear old Roman (on Virgil's part anyway).

But mentioning the tragic tale of young lovers, may just set an imbalance in their concrete ground.


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Patton tells a knock-knock joke, and the rest of the class battles over the TRUE intentions of Romeo and Juliet's story, with Roman and Virgil as their separate leaders. (Including Logan.) Is it truly 'The Power Of Love' or is it the morbid 'Ignorance Of Youth'?

It was a fresh new day, newly sunny with a brisk cold that would be felt if you weren't Virgil. (Who constantly wore a single purple jacket.) 

Patton had his own special way of calling attendance, it wasn't "Shakespeare's Peers" without it. Everyone in the class kind of had to pay attention, due to his way of identifying you. (He would stare at you until you responded.) 

"Knock, knock," the fatherly teacher began and the crowd immediately woke up. (Patton had that affect on people.) The first person, a girl named Alyssa, responded, "Who's there?" Patton giggled, "Banana." 

The girl smiled, "Banana who?" 

Virgil waited for the punchline, prepping himself for the corny words that would no doubt slip from the child-like teacher. 

But, they didn't.

Patton slipped to the next person, a giddy smile peering onto his cheeks, "Knock, knock." The next voice rose, "Who's there?" And yet again, Patton uttered, "Banana." 

This continued for a very long time, so much so every classmate groaned at the mention of the yellow fruit. And Virgil was regretting having his spot as the last on the list. 

The girl just before him, Valerie, groaned out her response and then, it was Virgil's worst nightmare. 

"Knock, knock," Patton smiled, mischievously and messing with his fingers. Virgil inhaled, causing a long silence before responding, "Who's...there?" Patton smiled, giggles bubbling from his lips as Virgil mentally-prepared himself, "...Orange." 

The whole classroom fell into the comfortable silence, the arrays of groans halting in their throats. The air thick with confusion, Virgil faltered and barely registered it was his turn to speak. But due to his extreme anxiety and nerves, he couldn't forget that he was at the center of attention, so, he was a little more aware than anyone else in the room.

"Orange..." he paused, making sure he was right, "...who?" Surprisingly, the whole class seemed on edge but a few had scoffed, falling into their chairs. 

Patton grinned, his giddiest grin, "Orange you glad I didn't say banana." 

The whole class erupted in waves of giggles and groans, depending on the person. A person in the back yelling, "That was a classic!" 

"Alright-" Logan lightly placed his hands on Patton's shoulders, "-although, that joke was... excellent, love, our production is counting down. We have to start sometime." Patton pouted, "Sorry, Logie." 

Virgil smiled, as the crowd echoed in soft coos to the teacher. Yeah, this class was weird but so was Shakespeare. 

Logan readjusted his glasses, "No need to apologize, but we must get started." The tied teacher stood, residing in his place just behind the podium at the front of the room. 

Uncapping a marker, Logan briskly wrote across the smooth board. Virgil read the slim, even lettering and almost let out a loud sigh, dissolving all of his disappointment. "The interpretation of-" Logan tapped the board with the marker, "-Romeo and Juliet." 

Roman was immediately to his feet, his hair bouncing up with him, "May I go first?" Logan paused, a look of 'Thought so' crossing his face, "Why not?" 

On cue, Roman adjusted his princely curl and waltzed up to the podium with an immovable smirk. Pursing his lips, Roman began, "Well. Romeo and Juliet is, obviously, a tale of tragedy, wrapped within a story of hatred being healed by the purity of love. It's beautifully written and shows the power of love and emotion in general." Grinning, Roman added dreamily, "Romeo and Juliet do have to sacrifice themselves, but their tragic love gifts all afterward." 

Virgil bit his lip, all that love-dovey stuff did not match up with the events. They died in the end, because of the dangerous fiery passion and immature decisions. For the first time, Roman was wrong. But, he didn't know if he could confess that to the whole class of Roman-worshippers. 

Patton leaned onto Logan's arm, "I like that one. It's very sweet." Logan furrowed his eyebrows, a small smile towards Patton before asking, "Anyone want to disagree?" 

There was almost a hopeful tone in his voice. 

Virgil froze, watching the rest of the class freeze and glance among themselves as if communicating 'not to mess with Roman'. He had a different idea, but he wasn't sure if it would be popular. And he didn't want to be alone in that. So, he kept his hand nailed to his desk. 

"Seriously?" Logan raised an eyebrow, surveying the empty crowd, his eyes resting on Virgil for a split second, "Nobody disagrees?" Patton's eyes locked onto him, unshamefully, "C'mon, kiddo. Nobody will hurt you." 

Virgil inhaled, biting his nerves back, "I-I have an interpretation." His classmates spun around to meet him, surprise tracing their features with a peg of interest. Virgil took a deep breath in, just rock it. He took a deep breath in, pulling down his hood and playing with the wooden pencil on his desk. 

"You see Princey," he smirked, "-I think you're a bit too hopeful. If I'm honest." Roman scoffed, crossing his arms, "Oh yeah, My Chemically Imbalanced Romance? If you're so smart, what's your interpretation?" 

Virgil rolled his eyes, swallowing as his eyes scanned across the classroom for a moment. Roman gnawed on his lip, his eyes following Virgil's before raising his voice, "Guys, up here! I'm the main attraction." The darker side paused, a little surprised at the fanciful boy's kindness, "Romeo and Juliet is about the immaturity of young love, and in turn, the youth in general. Their love is not beautiful, it's the worst kind! They fell in love within like a week, and claimed to be in love at first sight. What does that tell you, Princey?" 

Roman scoffed, hands motioned outwards, "That it was love at first sight! Their love was so powerful, that it only took a few days to envelope them whole." Virgil crossed his arms, "You have too much hope. They're just stupid, shallow teenagers." Roman gasped, "You did not jus-" 

Logan interrupted, "That's quite enough." He spun to the board, writing briefly, 'The Power Of Love VS. The Stupidity Of Youth'. Logan moved along, his face stout and stern, "I'd like to see where you stand. So take a minute, and decide." 

The class fell silent, as each boy's words seemed to process in their classmate's minds. Their eyes bubbling and minds seemingly turning gears in their heads. It took a few minutes, before the first person, Valerie, stood and placed her tally mark underneath Roman's side. 

Roman smirked, his eyes holding a proud gleam, as he relaxed the slightest bit. Virgil breathed in, flicking his tongue between his teeth. Hopefully, he didn't make the wrong decision here.

Just as his mind uttered those words, Joan stood placing their tally mark under Virgil's, "Bite me, Mr. Happily Ever After." Joan walked by Virgil's desk, holding out their hand for a high-five, which Virgil did accept.

After a few minutes, each side had grown up to a tie. With 10 classmates in our club, there were two more people that needed to decide: Thomas and Talyn. 

Thomas was the first to rise to the challenge, his eyes flickering back and forth between the words, "Man, this really is kind of difficult. Didn't expect that." His hand wavering above each, Thomas squeaked, "I'm just gonna go for..." he swiped a mark under Roman's, "...this one?" 

Then, Talyn walked up the board, their face an aura of confusion, "I hope you know I tried to not be last. But here we are anyway." The class echoed in laughter, as they stood there, eyes flashing between the words a bit like Thomas. Talyn readied their hand, as each classmate held their breath, "I agree with..." Their hand twitched over Roman's before sinking back to his in a swift movement, "...Virgil." 

After a brisk fistbump, Virgil furrowed his eyebrows, "We... tied? What does that mean, Teach?" Roman adjusted his shirt collar, "What Mr. Cobwebs said." Virgil smirked, "Man, Princey. You're just getting worse." Roman snickered, "Whatever, Prince of Darkness, you're just jealous that you only have one!" Virgil countered, "I only need one... Princey." 

Roman sneered, sticking his nose in the air softly, as his eyes trained on the teacher. Virgil smirked, seeing Roman frustrated was the best thing to witness.

"Well," Logan adjusted his tie,"-I agree with Virgil. The whole narrative of this calamity cured by love is preposterous. It instead, expresses the naive nature of the young lovers and actually how their falsely beautiful emotions aren't in the right mind." 

Roman blinked, "All I understood was 'I agree with Virgil' -and now- I'm upset!" Virgil rolled his eyes, "He's arguing the same points as me. Naive, shallow teenagers." Roman huffed, "I believe the main characters as naive teenagers has some significance, but it's not the interpretation!" 

Virgil raised an eyebrow, "And why is that?" 

"Well, uh-" Roman sputtered, "-it just is." Virgil chuckled, relaxing into his chair, and Roman paused, shocked to hear the sound. 

The darker boy paused, his eyes resting on Roman and they seemingly couldn't separate. Virgil could've sworn he had seen a pleasant sense of peace echo across his face. At his laugh? Virgil couldn't get his eyes of the wonders of warm brown, that suddenly seemed so... Beautiful. 

Virgil furrowed his brows, his cheeks hesitant to blossom a light pink. He blinked, he swore this wasn't happening, the tips of Roman's ears were turning bright red. 

It was.... adorable. 

Virgil shaded his eyes, his face burning bright red and he desperately pulled up his hood. Pulling his jacket around his body, Virgil sunk into his chair, huffing into the air. 

Just as he regained himself, his eyes rested on Patton, who had a childish grin on his lips. 

Oh God.


	3. Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Roman loses his princely composure (for more reasons than one) and Virgil remains okay (other than the itching attraction to the princely boy, that he truly didn't mind). As well as Patton trying to keep a secret, and Logan assisting his precious husband in the only matter he can: running away.

Roman remained a bit awkward to him, his words taking longer to slip from his mouth and his tone much lighter than his harsh words from before. Something was up. 

Virgil wanted to get more into it, but he seemed to be having problems too. Granted, not as much as Roman seemed to be but still a significant amount. There was something off with his hatred for Roman, because he suddenly didn't really hate Roman. 

Startling, I know.

Virgil was knocked out his thoughts as the bell rang, echoing through his head. "Have a good weekend," the peppy female voice spoke, almost making Virgil shrink farther into his hood but he had a little self control. 

That was until he pondered her words for a bit longer, mulling around in his head for a few seconds. 

Weekend? he scoffed internally, great. 

"Not much that could get wor-" he was interrupted by slamming directly into a firm stature and immediately falling to the ground. Groaning, Virgil squinted his eyes, "Watch where you'r-" Roman stood there, eyes wide and his hair a bit disheveled, "-Roman?" 

Once again, Virgil found himself unable to look away. Mostly because the usually princely teenager looked a mess, his face a blotchy red and his ears as bright as a bottle of hot sauce. Virgil oddly found his imperfections... attractive? And he didn't hate himself for the thought either, his bright pink skin and messy hair suited him more. 

"Is everything..." the darker themed boy paused, "...okay, Princey?" 

The teen flushed, but almost seemed awakened but the nickname, "Yes! Yes, everything's fine, Virgil. I just have to go see... someone." Virgil held his books tighter to his chest, "Someone?" Roman's eyes darted in alarm, as his hands frantically flew around his body, "Oh! Look at the time, I better hurry before the next bell!" Virgil raised an eyebrow, "That was the last... Wait, did you just call me Virgil?" 

Just as the words slipped from his lips, Roman had fled, his sense of nervousness settling deep into his skin. An odd flutter in his stomach appeared, as he thought of the way Roman said his name. What is up with today? 

Virgil pursed his lips, running his teeth along his lip, before muttering, "What even was that?" 

The halls buzzed with chatter as people made their way out of the door, excitement to leave the building radiating off their skin. But, still no one heard or answered his question. Not that he wanted them too, anyway. 

The darker-themed teen slowly made his way to the Shakespeare room, they weren't there on Friday but he still needed a ride. Patton and Logan (mostly Patton) had offered him a permanent ride for as long as he stayed in the Shakespeare Club. Which was essentially how he was bribed into it. 

But, like he said, he didn't mind.

Humming lightly to the exaggerated tune in his ear, he made his way through the hallways and waltzed right into the room. Like he usually did. 

But, this time, Roman was there. His hand on his forehead like an exhausted damsel in distress, and Patton sitting close by seemingly coaxing him. Logan was the first to notice the usual visitor, stating rather loudly, "Why hello, VIRGIL!" 

Virgil held his temples, "Lo, are you serious? You just gave me the worst headache." Roman launched up, regaining himself in a orderly manner and Patton laughed at his antics. Now, Virgil was seriously confused, "Um, was the "someone" Patton? You could've just told me that, I wouldn't have judged you. Patt, is a good listener, actually." Roman laughed, "Ha! Like I was talking to Patton, pfft! No, I was talking to..." his eyes darted, as they rested on a mirror, "...my reflection! Only the most beautiful person in the world could listen to me." Virgil tilted his head a bit, additude dripping from his tone, "There were three bathrooms on the way here, Princey. It doesn't make any sense." Roman scoffed, "I had to...uh, get the right mirror!"

Virgil rolled his eyes, "Anyways, I need another ride. You guys good to go?" Logan, holding his husband's hand, nodded, and it was just then when Virgil had noticed that Patton was extremely quiet. Like scary quiet.

Virgil paused, "You okay, Patton?" 

Watching Patton's face light up was one of the most magical things, his eyes enveloped in sparkles and he swore Patton would fly off on a rainbow unicorn soon. The fatherly man's face did just that, but contained it all into a small smile. (And a bobblehead of nods.) 

Virgil furrowed his brow, eyes trying to meet Logan's, but he ignored his eye contact pretty quickly. So with a sigh, the teen approached his last resort. 

"So-" Virgil began, "-do you know what's up with them?" Roman's ears burned red, but Virgil pretended not to notice, "I actually don't know." 

A comfortable silence enveloped the two, and Virgil could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He wasn't sure why. 

"Uh-" the anxious boy began, "-I know it's not really my place, because we aren't really friends. But..." Roman looked at him curiously, as he continued, "...Is everything okay? Actually no, that was too personal of a question." He muttered to himself, "God, this is so embarrassing... Just know, if you need anything, I guess... I'm here. Okay?" 

Roman paused, his eyes softened and a sparkling emotion was set off deep in his brown eyes, "Okay." 

A silence enveloped the pair once more, as Virgil cringed, "Sorry, that was so... stupid. I should've stayed out of your busine-" Roman laughed, a brief but genuine laugh, "Don't be, it wasn't embarrassing or stupid." 

Virgil paused, "You're just saying that to make me feel better. Thanks but no thanks fo the pit-" Roman grabbed his shoulders gently, Virgil barely flinching under his touch, "I'm serious, Virgil. Don't apologize for being kind." 

Virgil swallowed, Roman was way taller than him and in this light, rather than intimidating, he looked heroic. Like the knight in shining armor on his white horse, riding towards you with the sunset just a flare behind him. Perfect amount of clichés for a Roman comparison, he laughed internally at himself. But, for some reason, Roman was his hero, shining a new light on him and his image as a whole. 

"C'mon lovebi-" Patton's voice was halted, as Virgil squirmed out of his hold with a vivid blush on his cheeks, "Coming." 

After an awkward walk to the carpool, Virgil and Roman sat in the middle. The shorter one trying to avoid Roman's eyes at all costs, and Roman seemed to be trying to make it with him. Patton was humming along with what sounded like a Christmas tune, while Logan flipped through a book in the passenger seat. (They swapped everyday. One day driver, the next passenger.) 

"So, kiddos-" Patton grinned, "-how's school treating you?" Roman interrupted the silence, "Well, you see, Mr. Burkencher decided to make the whole class do 95 problems for homework and Ms. Harmone also decided crazy tons of homework was a good idea. AND A PRINCE NEEDS HIS BEAUTY SLE-" Patton spoke up, a soft tone, "Roman, buddy, we have to use our inside voices." 

The princely teen exhaled, "Sorry, it's just been a... rough day." Patton frowned, "Well, it can only get better from here! Don't be discouraged." Patton's eyes shifted in the rearview mirror to him, "What about you, Virgil?" Logan added, without thinking, "Are those guys still bothering you?" 

The whole car fell quiet as Patton whispered in a quiet tone, "Logan!" Virgil hugged his jacket closer to himself, as Roman echoed, "Those guys? What guys?" 

Logan apologized, "I shouldn't have said anything, reall-" Roman interrupted, his voice sharp and clean, "No, what's going on here?"

The car fell quiet once more, as the low hum of the wheels on the road echoed through their heads. Roman raised his eyebrows, "Hello-o? Is anyone going to tell me?" Patton looked back at Virgil with caring eyes, "Can we, kiddo?" Virgil shrugged, "It doesn't matter." 

"A few boys at school have been-" Patton cleared his throat, as Virgil flinched, "-messing with Virgil for awhile now." Logan scoffed, "'Messing with' is a large understatement." 

"Logie!" Patton scolded, as Virgil shrunk into his seat. Roman eyeing him out of the corner of his eye, "Actually, I'll just talk to you two later about it. Is that alright, Virgil?" The darker side sighed, "I guess. It's not that big of a deal anyways. A few kids don't like me, big deal." Roman scoffed, "Virgil..." 

The rest of the car ride was silent, Patton now not in the peppy mood to sing along with the radio, Logan switched it off. It was very empty, except for the heavy tense air, until the car's rumbling had stopped in front of a grand house. 

It was white with seemingly high windows and ceilings, and the bright glow of marvelous chandeliers slipping out of the lush red curtains. 

Roman sighed, "Looks like this is where I leave." Patton waved with a smile, and Logan sent a small smile with a brief nod, too involved with his book to care. Virgil sat with his hood pulled up, glancing at his fancy house with pure interest. 

Roman stepped out of the car, pausing, "Can't wait to make fun of your grave fashion sense tomorrow, Tombstone." Virgil's eyes lit up, a smirk etching across his face, "Before you say that Princey, you might want to look at how you look today. But... I'm up for the challenge." 

Roman grinned, winking back at the dark-themed teen, "Looking forward to it." Spinning around on his foot, Roman made his way to the deep oak door and immediately pulled out his keys.

Weird, Virgil thought, he didn't even knock.


	4. Part Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Virgil neglects his human necessities and Patton scolds him because of it. Oh, and Roman's there too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains some hints of child neglect.
> 
> Proceed with caution.

Virgil had heard the fair share of rumors about Roman's family. 

Some say that they died a long time ago, and nobody had really told Roman. Another popular one was that he was secretly royalty, and couldn't tell anyone for security reasons. (Virgil could believe it.) The last one that was recently spreading like wildfire, was that Roman had been abandoned and just kept saying they were on trips to keep the house.

Oddly, Virgil didn't participate in the regular mill of gossip, despite claiming that Roman was the worst, well used to be the worst. 

He also didn't even consider any of the gossip, because 1. He didn't have any friends, so it wasn't a conversation starter. and 2. He oddly wanted to hear it from Roman. Virgil figured knowing someone personally and discussing rumors about them was pretty sketchy. So, he figured the best option would be to wait for Roman. 

But, he would understand if he didn't share. It was Roman's private business, he knew he had no right prying into that. Although, something had been telling him to, deep within his skin. 

He wasn't sure how it had gotten there, but everytime he looked into Roman's eyes, he kept noticing a dull shade of pain. So, maybe he wanted to help him, or something like that. Virgil wasn't exactly sure. 

He sighed, running a hand through his hair briefly. Virgil was finishing up his outside appearance, the light flickering as he peered briefly at himself in the mirror. Words ringing in his ears, he moved his eyes away, pulling up his hood. 

His eyes moved along the floor, until a deep snore echoed in his head. His eyes flickered up, matching with his father's sleeping figure. The couch formed around him, a thin blanket hanging just off his torso. It looked very lived in, and Virgil knew it was. 

The dark-themed boy flinched, the sounds of yelling echoing into his thoughts, and carefully made his way to the bus stop. 

Maybe, today wouldn't be so bad.

◇◇◇

Virgil was wrong, very wrong. 

The morning had started off with presentations (and Virgil's partner hadn't shown up), then his next class had a required physical activity period and Virgil HATED his gym clothes, and then Roman seemed to be walking him everywhere. Which normally, he wouldn't mind, but he could tell Roman was assigned there. He wasn't there for a friend, he was there because he had to be. 

Stupid, stupid Virgil, he kept thinking, Like someone like Roman would even... with someone like you. 

Then, to top it all off, Virgil had fainted in 4th block. And it wasn't just something random, Virgil had forgotten to eat for the past few days. Sometimes, he would just forget about his necessities as a human. (Most of the time it was sleep.) 

And that brought him to now, locked away in the nurse's office until someone could get ahold of his parents. 

"They aren't going to pick up." He stared at the ground, his voice a soft mutter. 

The nurse frowned, poking around at her phone a bit, before turning to Virgil once more, "Are you sure your parents are at home, honey?" Virgil nodded, softening at sickeningly sweet nickname (But no one could ever proven it.), and whispered under his breath, "They just don't care." 

Suddenly, the door burst open. A man, dressed in a bright blue shirt and khakis, was exasperated from the seemingly quick trip. The teen furrowed his eyebrows, trying to hide his bubbling joy at the sight of the teacher, "Patton?" 

His body posture relaxed, as his twinkling eyes rested on the darker teen. The relief soon turned to panic though, as he frantically observed the boy. "Virgil!" Patton exclaimed, "What happened? Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you? Was it those boys? Because I'll physically fight th-" 

The teen chuckled, "I'm fine Patton, I swear." 

The nurse pursed her lips, raising an eyebrow, "He's fine, except for his absence of nourishment for the past four days." Virgil cringed, sinking into his coat. 

He had only seen genuine anger in Patton's eyes one time, and that was when he had admitted to the bullying. This, however, sparked a fiery anger in his eyes that he was sure only Logan could extinguish, but Patton's mindful husband was not present. 

"Virgil Grant Reed," the teacher scolded, a hint of frustration in his tone, "-you did not tell me you weren't eating!" The teen paused, "It's not exactly something you'd tell someone, Patt..." Patton quirked his eyebrow, "Was it your parents? Do they even give you food? I swear I'll-" Virgil interrupted, his voice a tone sterner, "Patton, not here." 

The teacher faltered, eyes glanced behind Virgil to the nurse, who was seemingly checking on him. He sighed, trying to relax on the cushioned nurse bed, as Patton's words echoed through his head, "Sorry, kiddo... Uh, Roman and Logan are on their way. Logan's going to try to let us drive you home." 

Virgil smiled weakly, "Thanks." 

Just as the negative thoughts settled in his mind, the phone rang aggressively in his ear. 

Just outside of the nurse's station. 

The nurse hopped up, her peppy stature returned as she rushed to the phone. Virgil watched her feet pace back and forth, watched her eyes widen in surprise (or was it fear?), watched her smile fade to frown, and watched her try to make her voice known. 

He used to do that too. 

He must've gotten lost in watching her move, as when his eyes turned back, they met a familiar shade of brown. A beautiful one, glazed with worry. 

Roman kept looking at the nurse and then back at him, repeatedly. Like his brain was processing the situation in front of his eyes. That was until his eyes stayed locked on Virgil, like a brief understanding flickered between them. Honestly, of something Virgil wasn't even sure of, himself. 

His throat clogged, as he turned his head away, not before seeing a whispered notion of Logan going to follow the nurse. But, he didn't care. 

Virgil never, never, wanted anyone to know about his parents. And watching all the pity in their eyes, he just wanted to go home. He didn't want people to understand, he didn't want them to know his deepest darkest secrets. Because now, if they leave... They take that information with them and Virgil knew Roman wouldn't stay. 

They were from two different worlds, and now, Roman knew his most intimate living situation. 

His head began to pound, as his heartbeat picked up and his face began to sweat. This wasn't okay. Roman would leave. Roman would leave. Roman would leave. 

His breathing quickened, as his brain noticing something missing in the repeating statement. People leave all the time, why was Roman's goodbye so scary? 

Roman would leave... him. 

Virgil's breath caught at the feeling of his lungs refilling, a wave of emotions slamming into him as his heart began to stutter. His eyes rapidly blinking, watching as the world spun round him and suddenly, everything started to make sense. 

He had a crush on Roman. 

Oddly, the sentence didn't feel right in his head. Something about it was off, but he was sure he'd figure it out later. 

He was taken out of his mind by the nurse, who was rolling up a chair to his bed, with a somber look on her face. It was laced with pity. Virgil pulled his jacket tighter around his body, his eyes wary to meet anyone elses.

"So," she began, her tone gentle and soft, "-Virgil, after much consideration... It has been decided that your house will be under investigation, and you can't stay there for now. Not until the investigation is over." 

Virgil's heart sunk, his hands shaking as he calmed his breathing, "I... For how long? Where am I going to stay?" Patton raised his finger, "Uh, he could st-" The nurse smiled, "I think staying at a friend's house would be most beneficial for him at this time. Legal actions." The teen parted his lips, as Patton frowned, but another voice decided to rise.

"M-My house..." Roman uttered, carefully, "Virgil can stay at my house." 

The nurse spun to meet his eyes, as Virgil tilted his head. Are you sure? His face read, as Roman seemingly took in it. The princely teen smiling, a warm smile that sent that same fluttering to his stomach, he nodded and spoke with more certainty, "I'm sure my parents won't mind." 

Logan and Patton exchanged looks, but Virgil couldn't really catch on. (As he wasn't married to them.) But, Roman's look of certainty and the subtle hint of excitement was enough to soothe Virgil's worries at that moment. 

Roman's eyes met his once more, slowly a pact, they had both made to themselves, slipping from their grasp. A hesitance laced his body, as his mind let a wall slip from it's foundation. The fear heightening, until Roman seemed to even out his breathing with him and slowly his saw his eyes accept it.

Virgil paused, his lips parted, as his mind slowly raged. It slashed through his gut feeling, leaving a vivid trail of worry. Telling Roman his story would take some time, but something in Virgil's gut told him that Roman didn't mind waiting.


	5. Part Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Roman opens his home's doors (huge doors, because he lives in a MANSION) to Virgil after a troubling revelation, Virgil is flirty (later regretting it), and Mama Bear Patton just can't leave his kiddos alone. Oh, Virgil loves the sky (and apparently catching a cold).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Mentions of implied child abandonment and neglect. 
> 
> Proceed with caution.

"Virgil? Hello, Virgil?" the nurse's voice knocked him out of his thoughts, "Is that okay with you?" Virgil paused, his eyes flashing to Roman's before glancing down at the floor, "As long as I'm not a burden." 

The nurse smiled, her pearly white teeth shining, "I'm sure you won't be. But if you're worried, I believe you could stay with Mr. Patton and Mr. Logan after the first visit, just in case." Virgil paused, the tension slipping from his stiffened shoulders and down gazing eyes, "I think... I think I'll be okay at Roman's until then." Her bright blond curls bounced ever-so-slightly, as she smiled just as she always did, "Good, now. I suspect you guys have a ride home?" Patton's eyes sparkled at the question, his hands curling to his face, supposedly in an attempt to control his bursting emotion. Logan, being an observant husband, smiled lightly at him and wrapped his arm around Patton's shoulder, holding him ever closer, "Of course they do, we wouldn't have it anyway else."

\-------

The car ride was very quiet, a hesitant echo of unspoken words trailing against Patton's light hum as his fingers rhytmically tapped onto the dashboard. Based on the brief taps as Patton hummed, Virgil was pretty sure he was reenacting "The Campfire Song Song" (from Spongebob) which he thought he could believe. 

Well, he was until his thoughts had been dragged away by a light whisper, "I know... This is kind of weird-" Roman mumbled, "-whispering to you in the back of a minivan, but... I just wanted to apologize for kind of forcing you into staying at my house. I know you have very specific boundaries and I should've thought about that before even-" The darker teen questioned, confused, "Specific boundaries?" 

Roman flushed bright red, "Uh, well..." Virgil watched Roman fumble with his hands, his heart swelling for a moment as he smirked, "What were you planning, Princey?" 

Virgil had ranged closer to his face, in a state of cockiness, Roman's eyes a breath away from him. Oh God, this was a mistake. 

Virgil's regret filled him briefly, a deep unsettling feeling reaching his toes. But, oddly, at the same time, he didn't want to stop. Roman's face had flushed bright red, his ears a blossoming pink, until he spotted the deep red on the edgy teen's cheeks. 

Roman's voice was slow, a hint of confusion in his fluffy tone, "Are you... blushing, Emo Nightmare?" Virgil's cheeks brighten slightly, at Roman's sly smirk slipping onto his lips but he inches closer to spite him, "Are you, Princey?" 

The princely teen's flushed, in apparent frustration, as he puffed out his cheeks and pursed his lips. Virgil personally found it adorable. Roman's hair slightly skewed on top of his head, as his cheeks blushed a patchy red (just like that day that felt like so long ago). His thoughts cute and fluffy, his heart ached to reach out to Roman but his mind thought otherwise. Daydreaming was the win compared to confrontation. 

Until, Virgil saw it. Roman's eyes fell for a second, resting on his lips and was gone in a blink. 

Virgil blossomed the brightest of pinks, etching back into the seat, as his mind set in how much he had wanted to kiss Roman. The edgy teen sunk into his jacket even further, trying avoid Roman's constant gaze of a deep sense of curiousity. 

"Virgi-" he began, but was swiftly interrupted by the warmest tone flooding through his ears: Patton, "C'mon guys, we're here and your ol' Papa Patton wants to make some dinner, lovebirds." 

This was going to be a long day. 

-▪-▪-

When Virgil's eyes met the interior, he swore he choked. The lavish maroon, matched with harmony to an off-white on some things and a deep metallic gold in others.

His eyes first rested on the chandelier just at the door, a shiny golden frame accompanied by white lights and Virgil swore this wasn't real. His eyes fled to the luscious couches and marble fireplace, with the orange flames of the fire radiating off his face. The tables were either a deep rich wood or a delicate white marble, always paired with golden legs and something red on the smooth surface. Everything was correlated, and Virgil just couldn't understand it.

"Holy-" Virgil began, unable to stop his swift tone, as Patton chirped up, echoing from the kitchen, "Language, Virge!" Logan seemed to be frolicking around the room, taking apparently essential measurements of each room (tools included). 

"Oh?" Roman spun to meet Virgil's eyes, "CAN IT BE? Is my dark and stormy knight impressed? By moi?" Virgil scoffed, "You wish I was, but, seriously, your house is excessive." Roman furrowed his eyebrows, "Rude." 

Virgil gently watched Roman spin around and waltz away with a notable swagger, his hair a mess swaying with the toss of his hips. He could tell his arms were crossed by his slightly pointed shoulders, and tense figure overall. 

"But," Virgil muttered after the boy, "-it's pretty beautiful too." 

He might've seen Roman stop a few seconds, almost startled, but Virgil was a bit distracted if he was honest. 

▪-▪-▪-▪

Virgil was simply tapping his fork on his plate, making small bites toward his mouth and distracting himself from the cool breeze that emitted from the room. 

It wasn't because of the temperature, but rather the implications. The table was long and dark, the seats a distance from each other that seemed almost isolated. So, with the fire burning down his back, Virgil still felt a deep shiver rack through his body. 

Patton cleared his throat, his voice soft and confused, "Virgil? Are you okay, buddy?" Virgil blinked, his body jerking slightly, as his eyes briefly flashed to Roman, "I, uh... I'm fine." 

The fatherly man looked him over a bit, before Virgil reaffirmed, "Patt, seriously. I'm okay." His tongue was waiting to say more, eyes resting on the princely teen from across the table, but stopped, "I promise." 

But is he? 

Dinner was quiet, the light tap of silverware against dishes as people silently enjoyed their food. Logan had neatly finished, his eyes scanning across the space and a thoughtful look slipped onto his features. Briefly, Virgil's eyes met his and something amongst them clicked, their theories almost confirming in the silence. 

His dark eyes held one sentence, "Not now." 

Virgil didn't have to ask what. He knew.

Patton reluctantly finished his plate, his food unable to be eaten slower and everyone knew he was stalling to spend time with the two boys before he left. It was just so Patton. 

Roman had barely touched his food, Virgil had noticed pretty quickly, as his eyes kept flickering warmly to the people sat at the table. A small grin pulling at his lips (not that Virgil was looking), Virgil could've sworn this was the first time he had sat down and eaten dinner. 

Maybe it was.

"Look, Princey-" he countered, "-as much as I'm sure if you were dead I'd win the Shakespeare Club, I don't actually want you dead. So-" Roman chuckled, scoffing, "Pfft, as if, Valerie would take the crown." Virgil rolled his eyes, "That's not what I'm getting a- UGH, just eat, Roman." 

Roman was quiet, his fork swiping across the food and shoveling into his mouth. But, not without the proper ettique. 

The group was a little startled by the silence, the usual prince flare not bubbling into his chest to respond; but then again, Virgil could tell his words had done something. He just wasn't sure what. 

Logan smiled, well the best he could, clearing his throat, "If you'll excuse us, it looks like it's time for our exit." Patton pouted, pulling onto his husband's arm, "Oh, please, Logie! Can't we stay longer?" Logan faltered for just a second, before doing the most un-Logan like thing in the world, kissing Patton's nose. 

Virgil didn't know if he should throw up or coo at how cute their treasured relationship was. 

"Darling," Logan's fingers traced his cheek, "I love you, but we can't stay here all night and you know that." Patton smiled warmly at his husband, "Aww, I love you too, Logie." 

Virgil felt his heart clench, would he ever get that? He had hope one day that someone would love him for all of him, unlike himself. 

"Anyway," Logan spoke, almost peppier, "-we must leave to catch 'Say Yes To The Dress' for Patton. And it's almost 7:30 as is." Roman immediately stood, his food falling untouched, "I'll walk you to your car then? As the person who you were a guest to, I feel it is my du-" Virgil crossed his arms carefully, "Have you eaten anything yet?"

Roman paused, "Uh no, but I can jus-" The darker teen shook his head, "I got it, Princey. Go on, eat." 

He expected backlash, a deeply-harbored anger to him for stupid reasons. In his own house too. He almost flinched, until he realized nothing was happening and Roman was just standing there. 

Virgil tilted his head at the other teen, watching his eyes flash with a sense of gratefulness. He was so touched, from what exactly? 

"Roman?" he muttered, moving his hands cautiously, "You can eat now." Roman blinked, clearing his throat with a smile that sent warmth to Virgil's toes, "Y-Yeah, sorry." Swallowing, Virgil hid his head and ducked out the door, with his cheeks a muffled pink.

He couldn't understand why it was so easy, and how stupid he felt being in the dopey stage. Roman was amazing, sure, but to crash into locked away feelings so fast. Virgil couldn't believe it, if he was really honest. And what if Roman didn't like him in that way? What if everything here would just leave another scar?

Patton was the first to speak up, his words always what he wanted to hear, "It's okay. Everything is okay, Virgil." 

The teen relaxed, just for a second, as Patton's words soaked into his skin and held him. It wouldn't be a problem for just a second. 

Piling into their buzzing minivan, Patton wouldn't let his eyes leave the house as he scooted closer to the dashboard to stay in reach. The teacher's voice was quiet, "Virgil, if you guys need anything --and I mean anything-- just-" Virgil chuckled, "Call you, I know." Patton chirped up again, "And-" Virgil retaliated, a smile biting to be on his lips, "-If that doesn't work, text, call your home phone, call the neighbor, call or text Logan instead, and, if I'm feeling adventurous, email your 5 different email accounts."

Logan pursed his lips, "Patton, love. Roman and Virgil will be fine. If they're not, they know how to contact you. But, it's very improbable that it will ever be dangerous." 

"You promise?" Patton asked, his voice frail and laced in a tainted concern.

"Yes, Patton. I'm a very calculated person, and I know for a fact that Roman and Virgil would probably die for each other." Logan smirked lightly, as Patton giggled and nudged Virgil. 

"WoAH, excuse me. When did dying become a... I just-, so confused?" Virgil muttered out, his voice a shaky and embarrassed tone. The couple laughed, scattered waves echoing into the night, as the lights faded away. 

Virgil was left in the peaceful dark, the cool night air biting at his nose and ears. The light sounds of bugs tinkering in the wisps of air, and the stars shining bright in the vast ocean of sky. Although Virgil wasn't one to leave the confinement of his safe space, the night always felt relaxing to him: a source of comfort in the worst times. So, when he sat (criss-cross) on the cool ground, it wasn't a surprise. To him, atleast. 

His thoughts were enveloping his body, letting his body sink into the ground and absorb the world around him. His mind bubbling to the brim with rattling thoughts, as the cold began to go unnoticed by his skin and the night swallowed him whole.

Roman. Roman freaking Elliott. Princey. 

How did we get here? Daydreams about someone I used to believe was stuck up and hated me. Now, I'd call him charming, enchanting, and someone to rely on. 

Would "old Virgil" even think of those words associated with Roman Elliott? Never. 

And on top of that, it seems his opinion has changed about me too. I don't even want to know what he thought of me before, do I? How much could I compare it to the myself that I know?

Would Roman even want me? I'm a burden, someone you would have to comfort and care for. An unusual amount compared to others, as Virgil was belittled, in every way he could be, with anxiety. 

Should Roman even consider me on that standpoint? As if, Roman should ever like me in the way I like him. He won't, and on the slim chance he does, I don't deserve h-

Virgil's body erupted into a sneeze, the soft sound shaking out his thoughts. He sniffled, "Oh, great. Getting sick will be amazi-" he sneezed again, a more body rattling sneeze, that he swore Roman could hear. 

He knew him probably should've rushed inside after the symptoms, but oddly, he didn't want to. He wanted to stay on this spot on the ground, and feel the world around him. It made him less anxious afterall. So, his eyes began to flutter-closed and his heart began to lightly pace in his chest. His smile traced his lips, the brightest smile he'd ever fel-

"Emo nightmare!" Roman muttered, as if on cue, Virgil sneezed. The kind of sneeze that launched you up from the ground, and gave you a headache. The princely teen's eyes gleamed with concern and a hint of relief, "I thought something had happened to you, I thought..." Roman didn't finish his sentence, but Virgil knew he didn't need to: 'I thought you left me.' 

"Don't worry so much, Prin-" he sneezed even louder this time, holding his head in his hands. Roman pursed his lips, "And, you're getting a cold!" The prince seemed to scramble for ideas to give him, before hastily deciding. Virgil could tell by his expressions.

Roman sighed, "Here," he shrugged off his jacket, "-take this." Virgil paused, eyeing the loose red cloth, as it's warmth screamed out to him, "I couldn't. It's yours and it's cold, you'll get a cold after me if you don't-" Roman rolled his eyes, "Virgil, I'll be fine. Just take the jacket." Virgil cocked his eyebrow, unaccepting of Roman's jacket, "And what are you going to do?" Roman sighed, "We're going inside, right? I'll be fine until we get inside. Just take the jacket." 

Virgil crossed his arms, huffing, and staring at the jacket carefully, with judging, yet oddly comforting, eyes. "Red-" he began, "-isn't really my color." Roman scoffed, "My chemically imbalanced romance, please. I know your tricks, just put on the jacket." Virgil furrowed his eyebrows, "My... tricks?" Roman groaned, "Yes, your tricks. I know you could wear any color you want-" 

"Uh," Virgil took in a breath, "-no, I can't." 

Roman was quiet for a few seconds, his smile falling and face altering. "Of course you can! Virgil," his face contorting into sincerity, "-you're beautiful." 

Virgil fell quiet, his breath hollow in his chest and heart pounding. His cheeks set fire, he looked back out into the sky. It was dark, the stars sparkling in the vast cloudy shades. Before Virgil could even sink into the ground once more, Roman's jacket had been gently set on his shoulders: it smelt oddly like peppermint and roses. 

He shook his head, "Roman, I can't ta-" On cue, the purple-themed teen sneezed and groaned into his hands. Roman's laugh softly echoed into his ears, as Virgil shivered into his coat just a bit more than he'd like to admit. 

The night was quiet, light sounds of bugs or distant interactions lingering, until the princely teen's voice melted with concern, "Hey, Virgil. I don't think the other coat is working. You have to get inside, can we? Rather, are you willing to?" 

The question murmured in Virgil's head for a few moments, as he carefully replied, "Yeah, I just..." Roman seemed to lean towards him in curiousity, awaiting the next words to flicker off his tongue.   
But Virgil was hesitant, his heart roaring and his mind restricting, he didn't know the real trouble behind his eyes. He didn't know how scary it was to open up to someone, to show your vulnerabilities at that extreme disadvantage. But still, he felt words slipping past his lips with no regrets. 

"I love the sky." 

Roman sighed, a deep rumbling sigh that went hand and hand with a chuckle. At first, Virgil was terrified of that silence and hated himself for even slipping up that little. 

Until, Roman cooed, "You know, Emo Nightmare, you can be pretty cute when you want to be." 

Virgil froze, his heart skipping a beat, "I'm not cute, I'm threatening." Roman laughed, "Whatever you think. But if you just want to see the stars, I have another way." The darker teen paused, "And what is this other way?" 

Roman teased, a hand fluttering over his chest with offense, "You don't trust me?"

"Uh, not really, no." Virgil smirked, crossing his arms for a moment. The princely teen shook his head, "I have no need to hurt you, Panic At The Everywhere. If I wanted to, I already would've." 

"Wow," Virgil scoffed, eyes darting away with a hint of hurt, "-comforting, Ro, really."

Roman shrugged, "What! You wouldn't have believed me any other way and you know it." Virgil paused, pursing his lips, "Touché." 

Roman laughed, "Look at that, I know you a little bit at least." The purple-haired teen's eyes fell to ground briefly, "Don't get your hopes up, Princey." Roman pouted, "Mmm, I see. I'm not good enough to know THE Virgil Grant, huh?" 

"Sure," Virgil exhaled, "-we'll go with that." 

Roman sighed, the sound filling his ears briefly, before his feet scraped as he raised from the ground. Virgil just wanted to stay here a bit longer, to really feel free for just a bit longer. But, Roman had a different idea.

"Well," he brushed off his jeans, adjusting his princely curl, "-time to go." 

Virgil didn't move, eyes trained on the night sky with no real focus in general. His soul felt centered, his heart felt calm, and his mind felt at peace. This was the best place to be right now. "No." 

Roman stepped back a bit, "What?" 

Virgil inhaled, "I don't want to go back in, not yet." The princely teen pondered the sentence for a bit, rolling his head around a bit, "Why not?" 

Virgil's mouth opened, words hesitant to spill from his lips to the cold air. Then shut, his mind tinkering in the absence of words and his heart bubbling up his throat. 

"Just..." the darker teen sighed, "Just, not yet." Roman bit his lip, sighing and sitting beside him, "I'm serious, if it's the stars. There's another, not to mention WARM, way to see them." Virgil pondered the idea in his head for a moment, carefully, "I'll be able to see the raw sky? No pictures, no holograms...?" The princely teen nodded, "Of course! I know the importance of nature, that stuff is just preposterous."

"You used a big word," Virgil laughed lightly, "-Good job." Roman rolled his eyes, "Enough, Hot Topic. Like you're any better." 

Virgil snapped back, "Hey! You d-don't know anything." Roman chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, Brad Pitt-iful." The younger teen rolled his eyes so far into the back of his head, Roman swore they were gone. 

"You can see the stars from there, --yada, yada--" Roman murmured, "-just trust me." 

Virgil's eyes rested on his for a few split moments, watching the sincerity tracing the sparkling brown. (Of which he had newly found enchanting.) Roman's face didn't falter as Virgil stared at him, almost like making sure it was reality. And maybe he was. Did it matter?

His lips parted, before he let out a soft sigh and prepped his words, "Oka-" Suddenly, Virgil sneezed again, knocking his words out of his throat. "Ugh," he sniffled, defeated, "-fine." 

Roman grinned, "Great! Let me help you up."

Virgil placed his palm on the ground, ready to lift himself up, until a smooth hand appeared just in front of his face. The teen flushed at the offer, eyes wide and almost afraid. Yet, Roman didn't falter: "Oh, would you rather me-" Virgil relaxed at the disappearance of the hand (and in turn tempting offer), but the world betrayed him as he felt arms scoop him up briskly, "-do this?" 

Virgil squeaked, grabbing onto whatever her could to stay steady, "Roman! What the he-" The princely teen shrugged, "Well, you weren't getting up and I figured you were as light as a feather, which I was right. So, this was my best route." Virgil scowled, "Oh, you are so going to pay for this." 

Roman chuckled, "Don't take offense to this, but you are about as threatening as a toddler right now." 

Virgil pouted, after the unsuccessful warning, this was his last resort. Gripping desperately onto Roman's shirt, he tried not to sink into his arms and hoped it wasn't too noticeable. Virgil didn't want to make this a habit, if able to be restrained. 

To be fair, Roman's arms were very comforting and warm compared to Virgil's cold exterior. So, being held wasn't the worst experience. But, Virgil couldn't let Roman know that (he would never hear the end of it), so, he had to keep his tendencies in check.

Roman apparently had a different mentality though, because just as Virgil noted to keep himself in check, Roman brought him closer to his chest. Virgil could physically feel Roman's chest rise and fall with each breath, and, what was worse was, he didn't mind that feeling. Virgil could sleep at the pattern of Roman's breathing, everyday and wouldn't mind it at all. 

Ew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my last previously-written part, so it will be a bit before the next part comes. Just a warning!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Part Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Roman gets a bit poetic (from a little rage), Virgil enjoys Roman's touch (he'll never admit it out loud), and Virgil makes a rather intimate revelation about the princely teen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Hints of child neglect and abandonment. 
> 
> Proceed with caution.

“Roman apparently had a different mentality though, because just as Virgil noted to keep himself in check, Roman brought him closer to his chest. Virgil could physically feel Roman's chest rise and fall with each breath, and, what was worse was, he didn't mind that feeling. Virgil could sleep at the pattern of Roman's breathing everyday, and wouldn't mind it at all. 

Ew.”

◇◇◇

Virgil was so lost in his thoughts, he could barely acknowledge the rush of warmth bubbling on his skin. Or the lights filling his eyes with a familiar gleam. To be fair, Roman didn't seem to notice anything either, as his eyes seemed trained on his destination.

“Roman,” Virgil paused, trying to get his mind off of the princely teen's breathing, “-where are you going?” 

Roman chuckled, “Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise. Would it?” Virgil rolled his eyes, gruff voice laced with sarcasm, “Wow, no really?” Roman laughed, his chest rumbling in Virgil's side, “Hey! I'm not the one who asked.” 

The darker teen scoffed, muttering under his breath as if to prove a point, “You never even said it was a surprise.” 

Roman's eyes dipped to the teen in his arms for a second, a warm smile spreading across his lips, before launching back up to see where he was headed. And Virgil noticed. 

“Princey-” Virgil spoke, almost reluctantly, “-you know you can put me down, right?” Roman furrowed his brow, “And how would I lead you to the surprise, my fair knight?” 

“Something cliché...? I don't know-” he paused thinking (or maybe trying not to think about what being Roman Elliott's fair knight would be like), “-like, blindfolding me and leading me by the hand… Or just one of those stupid ideas in all of those stupid movies that I'm sure you love.” 

Roman paused, his feet stopping for a moment as he gazed down onto the teen, “Well, I tried that. You weren't comfortable with that type of touch, I saw it in your eyes.” Virgil flushed, nervous, “And… You didn't think that was weird? At all? I mean holding hands is barely past any boundaries, it's so wei-” Roman spoke up, interrupting Virgil's downward spiral, “No, of course not. Why would I?” 

Virgil fell quiet, messing with his fingers and fingertips, anything to drag him away from Roman's eyes. 

Roman reinforced his words, taking note of Virgil's body language as he did, “Your skin is your own, and sometimes it takes a lot of self acceptance and mental capacity for you to let it be tainted. Because deep down, it either lasts forever or it doesn't, and the fear of crossing that boundary with someone who doesn't, can be… Quite terrifying.” 

Virgil felt his eyes burning into his head and decided to give into the temptation, to see, firsthand, the fiery passion behind his words. And he wasn't disappointed. 

“So, no-” Roman expressed, a bit of frustration on his tongue (not directed towards Virgil, but rather, the implications of Virgil's words), “-Supreme Dark Overlord of Negative Commerce, I don't believe it's weird. I believe it's smart and, rather, understandable. More so than other arguments.” 

Virgil swallowed, watching the flickering flame behind the storms in his eyes and essentially speechless as he watched it fizzle out. “Wow,” Virgil paused, rolling his lip lightly, “-you're actually really poetic when you're angry.” 

“I, uh... I actually get that a lot.” Roman responded, slow and carefully as he picked back up his pace. 

“That's weird,” Virgil snickered.

Roman cracked a small grin, “Ha. Ha. Very funny, Jack Smell-ington.” Virgil smirked, “I know, comedic genius.” 

The small sense of silence swallowed them once more, as Virgil's eyes focused on Roman's jawline. Which felt odd in his brain, sure, but was pretty innocent in that moment. His eyes fluttered across the shadows, watching as they danced along his face as the lights moved with his steps. A side effect of this observation was noticing Roman’s crisp shave: noticing where his scruff would be if he would let it grow, and on top of that, how soft his cheeks must be (which, in retrospect, Virgil shouldn't have been thinking about). So, he distracted himself another way. By focusing his thoughts on how he was being held, like from a logical standpoint. Virgil was a small person, he could admit that, so when he was held bridal style (not that this was a regular action in any means), things were just a little different. 

Roman's choice was to raise his left hand a bit, closer to Virgil's shoulders or just under his shoulder blades. He could feel the pressure on his back, at each different finger, if he concentrated enough. This was to adjust to Virgil's body size and support the widest area of his body to the fullest extent. (To minimize injuries.) On his legs, Roman seemed to note the dark-themed teen’s boundaries and fell just above the knee. No hints at anything inappropriate. This was to sustain the lower half of the body, which is usually longer than the torso, and prevent uneven weight distribution or discomfort on either side. Lastly, Virgil could feel the momentum of Roman's body used to steady his own resting form. 

(A/N: Really quick, I wanted to explain. I have experience with anxiety and looking at myself objectively seems to gather my thoughts, or to ground myself. Like focusing on the texture underneath your fingertips to understand where you are. There's my two cents. Sorry, continue.)

Virgil paused, his thoughts halting for a moment. If Roman had interpreted that I wasn't comfortable with hand-holding, how did he know I would be comfortable with something as intimate as this? He pursed his lips, the thought lighting into his head for a few moments.

“So,” Virgil rambled, “-I know we finished with this topic before, and I know it's done, it's fini-” Roman playfully scolded with a chuckle, “Virgil, just spit it out.” Virgil swallowed, clearing his throat, “Well, if you knew holding hands was off limits, how was it a safe bet to carry me? Bridal style is a bit more intimate, don't you think, Princey?”

Roman paused, pulling a thoughtful face and Virgil could've seen him tap his chin if his hands hadn't been occupied. “Good question,” he praised, “-J. D-lightful.” 

“But,” Roman continued, “-sadly, I have a fairly simple answer for you.” Virgil's obsidian hinted eyes rested on his face, expectedly, waiting for that explanation. 

“You looked like you wante-no,” Roman corrected himself, “-needed to be held.” Virgil's eyes widened, a light blush dusting his cheeks, “Oh.”

“No judgement here though, Charlie Frown,” his voice paused, hesitant, “-I needed someone to hold.” 

Virgil inhaled, his breaths a bit shaky, “Oh.” 

Roman laughed, “What? Did I freak you out, Emo Nightmare?” Virgil rolled his eyes, “You wish. But, there is something else on my mind…” The princely teen teased, a smirk slipping onto his lips, “And what would that be?” 

“I'm concerned about how long you have been carrying me. Like how big is your house?” Virgil asked questitively, as his head tilted slightly to his right. Roman chuckled, his hand hesitating to run behind his neck (a nervous tactic), as he avoided any smidge of eye contact, “About that… You see, it appears that I lost... my way.” 

Virgil furrowed his eyebrows, “What?” 

Roman stuttered, a bit flustered and frustrated, “I-It's a big house, and stuff is… hard to find.” Virgil scrunched his nose up, “Even if you live here?” The princely boy groaned, an almost hidden force behind his words, “Especially, if you live here.”

Virgil scrunched his nose, “What is that supposed to mean?” Roman paused, sighing for a moment, “Everything.” 

Virgil opened his mouth to respond, his voice soft and timid, “Roman…” The princely teen interrupted him, “There it is! Finally.” 

Virgil pouted, ever-so-lightly, “Wow, thanks Ro.” 

Roman laughed, “Oh please, Hot Topic. Like you’d be okay with me saying that holding you is like grasping onto the one thing that has been missing my whole life.” Virgil swallowed, his face a new burst of red as he squirmed slightly in Roman's arms. The princely teen smirked, “Told you.” 

“Well,” Virgil muttered, frustrated, “-maybe you shouldn't talk that way and it wouldn't be a p-problem.” Roman shrugged, “There’s no certain way, Doctor Gloom, it's just the truth.” 

“Okay, that's it-” Virgil squirmed from his grasp, “-put me down.” Roman smirked, “What? Did I make you uncomfortable?” 

“Yes actually, you did,” the darker teen echoed, his words soft, “-Like you said, “the fear of crossing that boundary with someone who doesn't, can be quite terrifying”, right?” 

Roman paused, his voice on echoing with a deeper understanding, “I mean, yes. But, wait-” Virgil moved his legs out of his arms, sliding onto the ground with a soft thud. 

Briskly adjusting his bangs, he contemplated just why he had shown no struggle to Roman's arms before. God, he was supposed to hate this prick. But, that was the problem: Roman Elliott wasn't a prick. 

Not at all. 

Sure, Roman would get a little braggy and sometimes, he'd shove it into your face so much that you just wanted to punch him. But as Virgil unwrapped the overly-confident teen, it started to seem more unintentional. Because Roman only bragged about the little he had, and Virgil felt like it was almost an insurance policy to keep what he spoke of. He bragged about his knowledge of literature and his passionate acting skills, because that's what he's proud of. That's what he wants people to know about him. 

Not the big empty house, that he spent his lonely nights in. 

Not his dinners spent alone, at the end of a dark table in a barely lit room. 

Not his constant urge to be held, to be listened to, to be cared for. 

He’d rather be bratty, he'd rather be loud and rejected than exposed and accepted. Virgil was frozen in his spot, his mind bubbling with the tinkering revelations. His eyes were anywhere but Roman, as his thoughts exploded with understanding and his heart leaped for the teen beside him. 

“Virgil?” Roman's warm hand was placed on Virgil's shoulder, sending warmth to his toes, “Everything okay? You're not having a panic attack, ar-” 

Virgil inhaled, “Are you, Roman? Are you… okay?” 

Roman paused, startled by such a direct question, “I, uh… Is anybody really?” Virgil shook his head, “Maybe, but I don't care about them Roman! I'm asking you.” Roman seemed shocked for a moment, as Virgil etched closer, “So, are you? Are you okay?” 

“I’m…” Roman fell silent, pondering the word he wanted to say here, “-better.” 

“Better?” Virgil ran his lip along his teeth, “Better than what?”  
Roman sucked in a breath, his shoulders tense and face a little afraid, “Better than before.”  
Virgil asked, still confused, “Before what? You have to give me more information, Ro.” 

“You.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wrote a fairly long chapter with about 5,000 words and realized it covered a lot really quickly, so I'm dividing it up into a few parts. (I think three). 
> 
> Just letting you know, and thanks for reading!


	7. Part Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Roman wins a bet about sexuality, Virgil is speechless with the Observatory, and Roman decides to unravel his darkest secrets to an audience of one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: As always, this part includes mentions of child neglect and abandonment.
> 
> Proceed with caution!

Virgil froze, his eyes widened but he wasn't necessarily intimidated, “Me?!” Roman laughed, “Of course, it's you.” 

Virgil furrowed his eyebrows, “You make me sound like I'm a prophet or someone way more important than a Junior at Storytime High with severe anxiety problems.” Roman pursed his lips, “Well, you are more than that. You're Virgil.” 

Virgil scoffed, eyes falling to the floor with a blushed sense of embarrassment, “Wait, hold on. We were talking about you.” Roman smiled, at the smaller teen, “We were.” Virgil scowled, holding his head, “Princey, you're very annoying, you know that?” 

Roman scrambled, “Woah, woah wait, Marilyn Morose. No need to be aggressive. Let's just check out the surprise then.” 

Virgil rolled his eyes, crossing his arms briefly, “And how will this explain everything?” Roman sighed, “Look, it won't-” he smiled, “-but, I will. I promise, on a prince's honor.” 

Virgil scoffed, biting back a smile, “You're definitely not a real prince; so, don't even try to pull that card on me, Princey.” Roman stuck his tongue out, “Oh, so you didn't buy into that rumor then?” Virgil shook his head, “I actually didn't buy into any of them, I trust you. Not some girl who claims to be your ex.” 

Roman, unexpectedly, belly-laughed, his princely curl falling just in front of his face and Virgil finally noticed his hair. 

It was a mess, to say the least. Little curls peeking at the end of each strand, as the product washed out with the days stress. Virgil felt his fingers ache to run through them, or even to catch on the sudden texture change. 

Virgil blinked, his cheeks tinted a bright pink as he shook himself out of the daze. “Roman?” he asked, a trace of concern in his voice, “What's so funny?”

Roman let out a long sigh, wiping his eyes, “Oh, nothing about you, Incredible Sulk. More just the fact that she just…” His voice erupted into a fit of giggles, the thunderous laughter halting and Virgil physically couldn't believe how cute this human being could be. 

Virgil bit back a cheesy grin, the sound of Roman's bubbly giggle sending his heart into a fit, “Ro? Princey? You in there?” Roman steadied himself, taking a breath for a moment, just before another fit of laughter, “I'm just… so gay.” 

Virgil's cheeks blossomed pink, as Roman expressed breathlessly, “For her to even think! I mean… I just can't even imagine being straight.” 

“I mean, I don't know if that’s any offense to you. Straight people are great, I'm sure.” Roman reaffirmed, his face carefully watching Virgil, as the words slipped from his lips. 

“Ro?” Virgil asked with the tilt of his head, as Roman seemed suddenly attentive, “Yes?” 

“I am-” Virgil bit back a laugh, “-nowhere near straight.” Roman beamed, sitting up fairly quickly from his relaxed position, “That's what I thought! Remy owes me a 10.” 

“Wait,” Virgil scowled, “-you bet on my sexuality? Roman, that's messed u-” Roman threw up his hands in innocence, “I know, I know. I apologize, I truly do. It was when you first got here, really.” 

Virgil scrunched up his eyebrows, “Then? Why did you bet then? We didn't even know each other.” Roman dusted his hands on his pants, his ears turning bright red, “About that… I may have… kinda… thought you were… absolutely adorable.” 

Virgil deliberately ignored the stupid blush scratching at his neck, “Really? Huge emo aesthetic, blackout, and all? Don't you hate that now?” Roman didn't lift his eyes, as he spoke timidly (for the first time in his life apparently), “I never said I hated it.” 

Virgil's eyes widened, squeaking out, “You still think I'm adorable?” Roman flushed, his hands moving all around his face in an attempt to save himself, “I didn't say that, you-you Raisin Oatmeal Cookie!” 

“Wow, Roman, that hurt-” Virgil held his hand over his heart, “-right here.” 

Roman muttered, shuffling his feet, “Shut up, Jerky McJerk Face.” Virgil smirked, “Note: when Roman gets flustered, he sucks at comebacks. More than usual.” 

Roman seemed ready to retaliate, but another idea stopped him. His chocolate eyes sparked in imagination, as he retorted, “Note: when Virgil gets flustered, he messes with his fingertips and avoids eye contact at all costs. And I find it to be the cutest thing I've ever seen.” 

Virgil's blush shot up his face, warming the tips of his ears, “Not fair, Princey. I'm not used to flattery.” Roman grinned, a bright wide grin, “It's truly my pleasure, V.” Virgil rolled his eyes, huffing out a sigh of air, “Don't call me ‘V’.” 

Roman smirked, “Okay, V.” 

“Ugh, whatever,” Virgil groaned, “Can we just go into surprise now? We've been standing here for literal ever. This tacky carpet is starting to give me a headache.” Roman scoffed, holding his hand on his chest, “This carpet is not tacky, it's actually quite the opposi-” Virgil exhaled, “Ro.” 

Roman frowned, “Yeah, yeah.” 

Virgil held his temples for a minute, as Roman paused, “Sorry for all these distractions, I can be a bit off track sometim-” Virgil faltered, “Relax, Ro. It was fun, don’t apologize.” 

Roman smiled lightly, “Good to know.” 

“Anyway,” he cleared his throat, resting his hand on the door handle, “-my darkest knight, welcome to the heavily awaited... Observatory!” 

Virgil pushed himself onto his toes to see, eager to understand what was so worth the wait. 

The deep wood door creaked open, lights behind it flashing on with the movement. The darker teen peered into the room, his eyes lodging on the curve of the walls into a tall dome that almost made the whole room almost expand in his brain. His eyes flocked to another chandelier, at the center of the dome that stretched all the way down. It reminded him of shards of ice slipping around the base, the clear twinkling lights reflecting through them and making them appear a tint of blue. Along the walls, Virgil's eyes traced a beautiful wrap-around mural that depicted the different seasons, as you spun. The floor however, was unnecessarily empty and because of this, the marbled tile gleamed a lot like the chandelier.

“I…” Virgil started, but couldn't finish, his heart roaring with amazement and face contorting into disbelief. Roman smirked, proud of himself, “Oh, is the Virgil Grant Reed speechless? Wow, I've truly outdone myself. I am truly sorry to disappoint-” Roman walked along a wall, fingers hesitating above a small button, “-but you haven't even seen the best part.” 

Suddenly, a part of the cream-colored dome separated, revealing the starry night sky but just a sliver. Virgil's heart jumped out of his chest, his mouth parting as his feet got the best of him. 

Followed by a surprised Roman, Virgil stood just in front of the window, his eyes enchanted by the suddenly soul-lighting stars. Without thinking, his fingers reached: to touch the glass, to touch the wispy night sky, to cup a twinkling star. God, Virgil loved the night.

In a state of mesmerizing thinking, Virgil began to sink to the ground without once losing the sky in his vision. “Roman…” Virgil inhaled, “This is amazing.” The princely teen grinned, a proud beaming grin, “Good to know that you like stars. Like a cliché Instagram girl.”

Virgil rolled his eyes, “Really, Princey?” Roman laughed, playfully waving his hand, “You know I'm only joking.” 

Virgil spent a few more moments, hands up to the window in wonder, and his heart swelling in his chest. This was absolutely mesmerizing. Never would anything in his life top this moment, he knew it now. 

With a quick shake of his head, he regained his thoughts and watched Roman for a second. (Noting the nervous tap of his foot, and the adjustment of his sleeves repeatedly.) 

“Sit, Roman.” Virgil hummed, patting the spot next to him briefly, as his eyes stayed on the curved glass before him. Roman paused, his feet faltering a few times, before Virgil felt his skin warm at the closeness of another. Roman bit his lip, rolling it on his teeth, “Uh, where do you want to start?” 

Virgil didn't flinch, eyes still trained on the window, “That's your decision, Roman. It's your story, you decide when it starts and when it ends. You decide what you want to tell me, and what you want to keep to yourself. If any at all. It's yours, take it and run.” Roman tensed, hands moving around him fanatically, “I bet you're wondering about my parents though, should I start there?” 

Virgil shook his head, grabbing Roman's hands and covering them with his own, “Breathe, Roman. There's no rush. Whatever you're comfortable with, I just want to know your story. I don't necessarily want what corrects any drama at all, just what makes you, you. Or even why you are so upset now.” The darker teen paused, trying to think his words through as Roman's cheeks brightened to a deep red, “Just give me the story of Roman Elliott. If you don't mind?” 

Roman paused, “I… I can do that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to apologize for being so quiet on here, and Tumblr. It's been a bit of a rough bit of days, and school is just clogging up my schedule (along with absence of motivation). 
> 
> I'm sorry, and I can and will try to upload as much as I can!


	8. Part Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Roman tells his story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There is dialogue describing a form of child neglect and abandonment, (if this triggers you, this would be the chapter to avoid).  
> Proceed with CAUTION.
> 
> (If anyone would like the major plot points of this chapter on the next author's note, let me know!)

The silence was quiet, a silence of comfort and acceptance as Roman tried to put what he could into words. 

“When I was young,” Roman began, and Virgil immediately turned towards him, “-I used to look at the stars. That's why this room was built actually, for me.” Virgil rolled his eyes, as Roman waved it off, “Anyway… Before the observatory was built, my Dad took me to a meadow to see them. I always called it ‘The Meadow Of The Purple Sky’, because we'd head out just before night hit and the sky would be at the last bit of sunset. I'm not sure of it's actual name, though I'd love to visit it, if I ever found it.” Virgil noted this in his head, as Roman continued, “He'd make up fake constellations just for me. Like the Dreary Dragon, which was just beside the Grumpy Gargoyle…” Virgil laughed a bit, as Roman smiled brightly, “He’d use them to tell stories, stupid tales of princes and damsels, or even princes and bachelors! He never once had forgotten a single character, and described princes in such a light, I just… I wanted to be one.” 

Virgil smiled, picturing a tiny Roman in a crown and prince sash with a taped up wooden sword. It was just too cute.  
The way a few curls would peek out for the shiny plastic crown, in a messy manner, rather than, his proper hairstyle for school. 

“I remember messing in the dirt-- which you'd never catch me dead in now--” Virgil chuckled, biting back a scoff, “-and fighting invisible dragon witches. I remember dreaming of being the hero of my own story, riding in on a beautiful white horse and saving everyone. And all of my mannerisms today, are because of these stories and my mentality of: ‘everybody loves a prince’. And in this moment, everything was perfect with my parents, my home, and my pride.”

It was quiet for a moment, as Roman gathered his thoughts and the room echoed his previous words. The words implying something else into Virgil's mind, ‘it all went down from here’. 

“But,” Roman spoke, as light as a whisper, “-things change, and people… People change. And as it turns out, everything in that world was not as good as I thought it was.”

Virgil gently matched his fingertips on the floor with Roman's loose hand, an effort to provide support through these vicious thoughts tearing through Roman's head. 

“It started simple,” Roman began, his voice shaky and fragile (something Virgil had never heard in his voice ever), “-missing a few of the characters names in his stories, or a new nanny working diligently for my needs instead of Mom or Dad. Although, they were still there. I would see glimpses of my Dad, and my Mom would jog down a hall every once in awhile. He was in his office with the door cracked and he’d wave, or he would spin around a hall with a crooked smile sent to me.” Virgil inhaled, carefully laying his hand on Roman’s and just physically listening to him. 

“There was a time when my parents would smile in Christmas pictures, and play tickle monster with a boy who needed it. But, something changed. The cracked doors started to be shut in my face, and every once in awhile, I could see my Dad’s painful face. Like he knew what he was doing…” Roman inhaled, his voice ragged and tired, “Everything started relying on my nanny, who barely interacted with me at all. But, I craved her attention anyways. I just wanted my parents, that’s all I wanted. I wanted them to compliment me: tell me that they loved me, tell me that I mattered. Anything.” 

Roman sighed, “So I didn’t think I did. I never really let myself think that I was important, because if my parents could just give me up with no regrets, was I truly worth anything? My Dad used to eat with me, and before my Mom had too! I… I didn’t know what I had done, Virgil. What had changed everything? And the only answer my brain could think of was simple: Me.” 

Virgil whispered, a lace of frustration in his tone, “Roman…”

Roman shook his head, “I know, I know. It isn’t my fault. That’s what everyone says, and I hear it, I really do. Just… After convincing yourself of the opposite, it's hard to process the truth… I'm sorry, I got a bit off track, shall we continue?” Virgil frowned, “Are you sure you know?”

Roman paused, tinkering with his sleeves, “Maybe not, but… You just… You deserve to hear the whole story, and I want to tell you first. Can we do that?” Virgil let out a shaky sigh, trying to compose his mixture of emotions, “Of course, as long as you promise you’ll talk to me afterward. You have to promise.”

It was a little childish out loud, when his spoken words were applied then, but at the same time it was what Virgil had meant. He had to show Roman what exactly he meant to him, and that helping him be healthy was his priority. Like he had the whole day actually.  
Roman had to hear the desperation in his voice, the pleading in his eyes, or he wouldn’t believe him, and Virgil needed him to.

“As long as you promise not to leave like everyone else,” Roman smiled with pain bleeding through his eyes and sensed in the echo of his voice, “-Negative Nancy.”

Virgil let out a laugh through the tense air, “Wouldn’t dream of it, Princey. And that one was… Your worst one yet, by far.” Roman grinned, placing an offended hand on his chest, “Ouch, really?” Virgil smiled, “Definitely.” 

“Also,” Virgil added, “-you need to work on your comedic timing.” Roman laughed, a sparkle in his eyes that almost erased that he had cried just a few minutes earlier, “Oh, you love it and you know it, my Dark Knight.” Virgil sniffled, “Touché, Ro, touché.”

They both fell into a deep silence, the air filled with a heavy tension, as the fluff of joy dissipated just in front of the teen’s eyes. The flicker of warmth disappearing in the forest of twisted vines, and leaving them in the pitch dark of the night with no true knowledge of what’s next. That’s how Virgil felt, hearing Roman’s story kept sending painful pangs to his chest and a deep rage down his spine that he, immediately, had to soothe. Anger is destructive right now, cool it until you hear the rest of it. 

“I…” Roman took a steadied breath in, “-I was alone a lot, and that’s probably still true today. But, I used to spend my days locked away in my room, then I’d go to school, and back then, I hardly did any after school activities… So, it was just a cycle. Over and over again.” He swallowed the evident lump in his throat and continued, his voice a bit scratchier than before, “At school, I had learned to stay alone, after a few select experiences. I used to be so eager for the attention, I’d get too loud and weird, I would scare them away. I always scared them away. The teachers always noticed something, and a few of them tried to contact my parents with recommendations. And sometimes, they would listen. But, my parents never physically did anything about me, because I was breathing and that was all they needed.” Virgil timidly interlocked his arm with Roman’s and laid his head on his shoulder; don’t get me wrong, I would have normally been mortified, but Roman needed it. 

Roman snuggled into Virgil just a bit, holding the warmth there on his skin, “As you can guess, I got worse. I tumbled into a part of my life, that most today wouldn’t believe. I… I went mute, I convinced myself that my words didn’t matter and that nothing about me mattered, because no one cared to listen. My freshmen year, my second year selectively mute, I relied heavily on sign language and there were certain teachers who understood and accepted it. But, not as much as Patton did.” Virgil smiled, “Patton-Patton?” Roman nodded, smiling into a faraway look, “He had taught an array of extra classes: food, design, and a course on healthy relationships. I, ironically, got his relationship class. And at that point, everyone knew I was mute and no one really singled me out for it, except for maybe a few guys, along with girls, who believed they deserved my love. Everybody loves the deep mysterious guy, right?” 

Virgil laughed, “Princey, I’m truly flattered.”

Roman smirked, winking, “You should be.” 

Virgil scoffed, rolling his eyes at the disastrous boy flailed out in front of him, but never without a smile.

“Anyway,” Roman’s voice almost seemed peppier, “-Patton, the first day, greeted me in sign language because he thought that was what I was comfortable with. After explaining to him that it didn’t matter, Patton started to speak to me in the lightest tones and made sure to keep his voice calm when addressing me. After I told him that didn’t matter either, I could tell that he got curious as to why I was mute, but he never really vocalized it. So, I never felt uncomfortable or pressured. He just asked me simple questions, like ‘What are you afraid of?’ and I’d sign back, ‘Being left alone’. That’s how he heard my story. He pieced together everything, when I told him I was ready. I used to tell him that I wanted to be an actor, and he always encouraged me. He actually set me up with the proper help for my mute tendencies, so I could grow out of my shell and accomplish my dreams. As I was going through these sessions, Patton asked the drama club if I could just sit in and listen. Surprisingly, they said yes, and Logan (only Patton’s boyfriend at the time) running the show didn’t hurt the answer either. That drama club is where I met all of the “Shakespeare’s Peers”, and where my life changed forever. You’ve been updated on how the travelling is just to stay away from raising their child and all…” 

Roman inhaled, slicing through the thick air with his brief thoughts, “I like to think you can't label it all as a story though, as a lot of ‘side-plots’ happened in the mix of it all. I don't believe everything can be summed up to a clean cut beginning and neatly wrapped end. Because, thinking that one day, I'm supposed to be living the perfect life, sounds almost unbelievable. Like, I don't believe I have everything, or anything rather, that will fix my future to be ‘complete’... Well, except for you.”

Virgil left out a deep breath, he had been holding in his chest: why did he keep mentioning me? I'm not that important, am I? The teen pondered it for a second; before pushing it out of his thoughts, Roman was the real focus now. Speaking of Roman… 

Virgil clicked his tongue, “Ro, I think I've changed my mind.” Roman stiffened, his shoulders tensing, as he whispered out, “About w-what?” The darker-themed teen leaned into Roman a bit more, trying to calm the emotional teen's nerves, “Nothing bad, Ro. I promised, remember?” 

Roman inhaled, “Yes, of course. Nothing bad…” “Yeah,” Virgil responded, slowly and carefully, “I kinda just had a revelation of sorts, on something I said earlier.” Roman furrowed his eyebrows in curiosity, “Oh?” 

Virgil inhaled, fumbling with his hoodie strands, “Roman, I believe that you’re a prince.” Roman pursed his lips, “You think so?” 

Virgil reaffirmed, his voice a bit shaky, “I’m not too good with words, but… You’re strong. Surviving all that, you would be strong without all the physical characteristics. The amount of courage you had, to tell me… That’s suitable for a hero of thousands of kingdoms, Ro. And if they don’t see your greatness, then they are honestly stupid.” Roman grinned, his eyes a bit watery, “Thanks, Virgil. Thank you for truly everything, you’ve helped me a lot more than you know.”

There was something about those words that just confused Virgil to no end, Roman had implied something but Virgil wasn’t exactly sure what. To think of it, he never was.


	9. Part Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Virgil realizes a few changes within himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I wanted to apologize for taking SUCH a long time to even create such a short chapter. My writer's block was horrible, and I wasn't in a good place with my confidence. Now, I'm going to try to do my best to update regularly. Thanks for sticking around, if you did.

“So…” Virgil began, his voice calm and steady.

“So?” Roman questioned, picking up Virgil's hand and messing with his fingers individually. 

God, he had forgotten how close he was to him. Virgil could feel his spurts of breath, and the distant smell that his jacket radiated: peppermint and roses. If he turned slightly to the left, his nose would touch his cheek. He condoned himself for even thinking about it. Stupid Virgil, thinking about how smooth his skin was or how soft his hair would be or-  
Wow, I'm actually a weirdo. You see a new side of yourself everyday.

“You know,” Roman paused, tracing the lines on his hands, “-you really did a lot. Listening, I mean.” 

Virgil rolled his lip over his teeth, humming, “Did I? I'm not one to give good advice, so I figured it's my best plan of action…” Roman pursed his lips, “Why do you say that?” The darker teen flinched at the inquiry, he wasn't big on opening up but Roman seemed to be a different case, “Which part, Ro?” 

“Well-” Roman ran his fingertips along Virgil's palm, “-both, I guess. Your advice would seem wise to someone who doesn't look where he walks, such as myself, and I think you contribute a lot to the table. Especially for me.” 

“Well-” Virgil singsonged, “-your take seems a little biased, Princey.” Roman shrugged, “I mean, whose opinion matters other than mine?” Virgil rolled his eyes, playfully, “I'm starting to regret accepting your offer, you are exhausting.” Roman smirked, “I mean, seriously. Other than mine, to you, whose opinion matters?” 

Before Virgil could think straight, his voice leaped ahead of himself, “Everyone’s.”

Roman faltered at this, turning to the darker teen, “Virgil, you can't be serious.” Virgil didn't look at him, his eyes locked on the slip of stars peering into the room. Roman exhaled, “You are, aren't you? God, Virgil…”

Virgil locked up, his lips zipped and face frozen to the window. His shoulders tensed suddenly, and the way his head rested on Roman's shoulder didn't seem comfortable anymore.

Roman whispered, “Virgil… Please, look at me.” 

Virgil shook his head, his breathing pace picking up in his chest, “We were talking about you, Roman. I… I can't steal this from you. This is your day, I don't deserve any pity.” Roman held Virgil's hands, trying to look him in the eyes, “Woah, this is not my designated pity hour. You can talk to me, it's okay.” 

“No,” Virgil retaliated, shaking Roman’s hands off of him and shakily standing, “-it isn't.”

There was two tones to his words: ‘It's your time, and you deserve it.’ and ‘I can't talk to you yet, not about this. You have to understand me.’ And it settled in the aftermath of the words being spoken, tinkering to lace with the density of the air. Virgil just hoped Roman could feel it. 

Roman paused, his hand hesitating to reach back out to Virgil, “I… I'm sorry, Virgil. I didn't know, that you weren't ready… I should've been more considerate, and I apologize for that. I thought…” Virgil paused, pulling at his sleeves, “Ro, it's okay. You were just trying to help, I'm just… Stubborn and stupid, you shouldn't have to deal w-” Roman raised to his feet, trailing over to him, “Virgil, breathe.” 

“See,” Virgil sighed, holding his head as he paced, “I did it again, I turned it onto me, which is inconsiderate and selfish. It's not- I don't… I'm sorry.” Roman inhaled, “Virgil.” The darkly themed teen scoffed, “I just wanted to give you time, and sympathize with you. But, I turned it. Made it something stupid, something… Greedy.” Roman rose his voice a bit louder, “Virgil.” He continued to pace, scrambling for a reason, “Maybe, maybe I don't know how to control it. Maybe, I can blame it on my anxiety or something but I hate it. I don't want to give it a reason to be okay. I didn't used to have this problem, I actually had the opposite. Keeping too much in, not getting the proper attention and not saying I needed it. But… I guess, I didn't have something then. I didn't… I didn't…” 

Virgil paused, looking up at the teen just across from him, as he briskly noted everything about him. Roman's hands were aching to reach to Virgil, he could tell by the way he held his fingers. Or by the way his arms tensed in that moment. His hair was messy, and Virgil could almost sense the worried comb through with his fingers. His eyes were gleaming, the stars twinkling a bright light into the warm hazel shades that were glazed over with worry. Virgil's thoughts clicked, his heart pounding in his chest, as his mouth opened and a realization slipped past:

“I didn't have you.” 

Roman paused, his tone faltering, “Virgil?”

“Y-You, you're so open and warm and trustworthy. I believe you when you say you won't say a word, I believe you when you say you feel something. But, you're too good to be true-” Virgil inhaled, a deep breath that should've flattened out his lungs, “-but you are! You are so pure and raw and so. Fucking. Beautiful. And I don't understand why you're even here, you're so great! You trust me, and understand me. Without even knowing what's behind the scenes when you aren't there, and I don't… get it.” Roman frowned, his lips pouting every-so-slightly. Virgil continued, his voice a bit steadier, “I… I don't deserve Roman Elliott. But I still have him. And no one has ever been there for me like you, and I… I'm scared.”

Roman inhaled, his lips parting, “Virgil…” 

“No,” Virgil began shakily, “-I don't want to talk about this anymore. No, no, no.” Roman frowned, a deep frown that settled into his features wrong: Roman wasn't meant to be upset.

“Okay,” Roman paused, his arms hesitating to wrap around Virgil, “-do you want to to just… Go?” Virgil furrowed his eyebrows, “Leave? I don't want to leave you, no. Of course, I don't.” 

Roman’s voice was timid and quiet, his whispers airy and fragile against the softest of winds, “Oh.”

“You didn’t…” Virgil faded for a moment, before returning with the same gentle tone, “You didn't think that, did you?” 

Roman paused, “I shouldn't have, I know. I just… I'm used to it? I guess?” Virgil sighed, his voice a soft playful echo, “Well, Princey, note this. I will never leave you, no matter how stupid your philosophies may be, I will never.” The princely teen smiled brightly, “That… That was uncalled for, Count Woe-Laf. But thank you, for everything else.” 

Virgil blossomed a small smile, briefly thanking God for the darkness of this room. (Virgil never knew of anything called happiness, nor would he admit to very red ears.) “Can we…” he began, before pausing, “Can we just… go to sleep? I think we deserve a rest.” 

Roman raised an eyebrow, “We?” 

Virgil rolled his eyes, as the flush crawled up his throat, “Oh, shut it Princey, you know what I was talking about.” Roman nodded, smirking, “That's true, maybe I just wanted it to be the other answer.” The darker teen crossed his arms, rolling his eyes, “As if.” 

Roman stopped for a moment, his smile faltering just a bit after his comment and his eyes flashing with dejection, and Virgil noticed. Virgil's lips parted, his fingers freezing against his sleeve as he debated whether or not to say something to him. Before his mind could be set, Roman carefully held out his hand to the other teen and waited to walk forward. 

Virgil's eyes fell to his extended hand, his mind bubbling with the possibilities and his hand hesitating to accept them. Roman cleared his throat, pulling his hand back a bit, “Sorry, I was just going t-” Virgil stepped forward, lacing his fingers with Roman's to silence his insecurities, “Lead the way, Princey.”

Roman smiled, “Of course, my dear Darkest Knight.”

“Yours?” Virgil quipped, raising his brow at teen just beside him. 

Roman squirmed a bit, “You know what I mean…” Virgil pursed his lips, laughing, “Do I?” Roman paused, his lips parting and words halting on his tongue. Virgil could see him debating the words in his head, watching the ideas toss around in his head.

For the first time, in a long time, Virgil let himself be happy and live in the moment. It had truly been too long since he had done that, but that wasn't really his fault, was it?


	10. Part Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A soft, flirty chapter to repay for such a long wait. In which, Virgil falls out of bed.

A light graze of warmth fluttered over his face, sending just a tinge of comfortable warmth through his body. Within the calm moment, a straggler piece of hair tickled his nose, and Virgil just had an instinct to swat it away.

Which he would've done, if he could move his hand.

Virgil furrowed his brows, spreading his fingers onto a soft fabric, as if trying to find it with touch; rather than wasting energy to open his eyes and actually look for it. He moved his hand along the fabric, trying to find what exactly the pressure was that laid heavily on his upper arm.

At this defeat, he groaned and began to force his eyes open. It took a few seconds for them to flutter, and a lot of self-motivation within to make him actually want to move, because whatever was holding his arm down was actually really... cozy. 

Shaking off the thought, Virgil rushed his eyes open and his heart leap in his chest, as everything began to flood in.

A breath away from him, Roman's peaceful face sat. Virgil watched his face twitch for a second, eyes resting briefly on his unruly curls (which were littered all over is face), silently wondering why he didn't always have his hair like that. Light bags etched underneath his eyes, that Virgil had never once seen before in his life, and it was almost breathtaking how natural he seemed.

Virgil blinked, shaking his mind out of the trance the sunlight that held its place behind Roman's perfect, messy, auburn curls had dragged him into. 

His eyes scanned the situation he was in, his cheeks flushing a bright red and his heartbeat speeding up in his chest. Roman's left arm was wrapped around his mid-section, and his right was placed under his hip; he had pulled him close enough that Virgil couldn't move his arms successfully, so his hands... were placed neatly on Roman's chest.

That was it, Virgil blushed incredibly bright and pushed his way out of Roman's arms, but way too far then planned.

Thump.

It didn't hurt, of that Virgil was sure. He might have a little of a headache, but it wasn't a migraine at least. The room was quiet for a second, except for the sound of blankets rustling slightly and Roman's, now, uneven breathing. 

Virgil froze, still somehow wrapped up in the plush, red blankets even on the floor. 

He could hear Roman tussle, and watched as the blankets moved with him, until a deep low grumble echoed from the pile of bedding materials. Virgil figured he was going through the same routine he had waking up, and that was his urge not to get up or it actually might've been the absence of Virgil, he was pretty attached to hi- DON'T, just don't. 

These thoughts running through his mind, Virgil inhaled deeply and tried to clear up his oddly unusual thoughts. But, he did forget about what he had been doing to remain unnoticed within his reaction.

Within the next few seconds, a curly-headed face began to peer over the edge of the mattress, "G'morning, Edge-lord."

Virgil's heart skipped a beat, of course he had a fucking Greek God's morning voice. Why wouldn't he?

He cleared his throat, "Morning, P-Princey."

Roman smiled, a dopey, sleepy one, and Virgil honestly thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest at this point. He had only seen the absolutely cutest things in the past 5 minutes, and if it continued, Virgil wasn't sure he was going to make it out alive. 

"What-" his voice was slurred with sleep, "-happened? Why are you on the floor?"

Virgil pursed his lips, messing with his fingers, "I... fell."

Roman chuckled, muttering sleepily, "You're too cute, Doctor Gloom. You should really look in to taking advantage of that." Virgil furrowed his eyebrows, ignoring the flame setting his cheeks on fire, "What?"

"Like, if you looked like that-" Roman pointed at him, "-all the time, I'd honestly... probably marry you."

Virgil froze, eyes widened and heart racing in his chest, squeaking, "Marry...?" Roman squirmed, a fiery red tainting his cheeks, "Look, I just- I meant that I'd be very easily swayed if you were cute like that all the time. Not that you aren't, it's ju-"

He laughed, shaking his head and ignoring the fluttering in his stomach, "Chillax, Princey. Everything's fine."

Roman smiled that dopey smile again, and Virgil's heart was off again. 

"Can we-" Roman sleepily began, "-make a deal?"

Virgil hummed, a little suspicious but mostly swooning, "Depends on the deal."

Roman pursed his lips, tapping his chin in a thoughtful manner, "Okay, um. You let me cuddle with you, and I will buy you breakfast... for a month." Virgil smirked, pursing his lips, "What kind of breakfast?"

"Your choice," Roman murmured.

Virgil bit back a smile, swallowing, "Alright, Princey, you've got yourself a deal."

Roman grinned, his pearly whites almost blinding him, "Good, you're like a little teddy bear, and you're soft and warm." Virgil's heart pounded in his chest, inhaling through his nose carefully, "I'm threatening, not... cuddly."

"If you-" Roman smirked, "-say so, Charlie Frown."

Virgil rolled his eyes, biting back a smile at the tired, flailed out boy in front of him. He absorbed the moment, feeling the lush carpet between his fingers and breathing in air that was thick with the smell of peppermint and roses. He really liked the smell.

"Well," Roman whined, "-a prince has got to get his beauty sleep, are you coming or not?"

Virgil snickered, "Chill, Princey. Such a drama queen..." Roman rolled his eyes, moving back to his place on the bed, "You know you love it, Virgil."

Roman held out his hands, just a breath away from his chest a spot open with his name on it. His heart swelled, deep in his chest, and Virgil could feel something slip away from him. A piece of his wall, deteriorating at the mere look in Roman's eyes.

But, that didn't matter now. Virgil had pancakes, and eyes the color of maple syrup to look forward to.

~~~

"Virgil-" Roman groaned, "-just try some of my clothes on! I swear that they are washed-" Virgil ran a hand through his bangs, "It's not that, Princey. I... My style just isn't as... flamboyant as yours." Roman didn't look amused.

"You think my entire wardrobe has stayed consistent?" Roman inquired, within a telling look within his eyes. 

"Well," Virgil mumbled, "-no, but-" Roman interrupted, "Poor, poor Virgil. So little of a fashion sense in that melon of angst. Come with me, Jason Toddler."

"Roman-" Virgil began, as he carefully took a hold of his wrist, "-I don't think this is a good idea."

"Nonsense," Roman spoke with such sureness, Virgil slowly felt his argument melt away, "-I need to show you something."

"I personally can't believe-" Roman led him by the hand to a intricately decorated door, as he gently turned the handle with his other hand, "- that you didn't guess-" the door slowly creaked open, "-that I-" he flicked the light on, "-had a goth phase."

~~~

The morning was bright, and in all honesty, a bit of a cold breeze rushed past him every once and awhile. Still, the walk felt short and Virgil's cheeks hurt from how much he was smiling. That... had never happened before.

"You know-" Roman muttered, "-you should smile more."

Virgil smiled weakly, "Thanks, I just... personally don't have a lot of reasons to smile... Especially at school, sucks there, but you know that." Roman pursed his lips, winking, "Well, at least you smile at me then. I'll gladly be the sworn knight of your smile, if I am to be perceived as worthy." Virgil chuckled, "Princey, don't start."

"What?" Roman urged, a betrayed tone settling on his voice, "Am I truly not worthy of such a responsibility?"

"Roman, not now-" Virgil muttered, seeing others staring at the teens on the sidewalk, but he was interrupted by the drama queen himself. Roman fell onto his knees in front of Virgil, stopping the flow of his feet, "I will truly devote myself, if I am determined worthy, to protect said treasure from all opposing knights and rival kingdoms. I will guard it with my life, and will fight no matter the circumstances to only benefit the treasure. I will-" Virgil interrupted him, biting back a laugh, "AS much as I enjoy this, Princey, you're kinda blocking the sidewalk and people are trying to walk he-"

Roman silenced him, by grabbing both of his hands and dramatically begging, "But love, I must be the knight of such a precious gift to universe, and I will not settle until I can protect it for at least a day."

Virgil's eyes widened, cheeks blossoming bright pink, "Look. Oh my god, okay. Fine. You can be the protector of my smile, or whatever... Just, get UP, PLEASE."

Roman got up, grinning devilishly, as he carefully leaned down and kissed Virgil's hand, with a simple bow. Virgil blinked a few times, his ears still a bright pink, "Whatever..." The princely teen smiled, "You're cute when you blush."

Virgil's face flushed yet again, "Are we almost there, Ro? Or is your plan to kidnap me?"

Roman chuckled, in a swift, smooth, movement intertwining their fingers together, "We're almost there... love."

Virgil wasn't going to make it out alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise to try to clear up my schedule for this fic! I'm getting overwhelming inspiration for this, and with summer approaching, I'll have a heck ton of free-time. 
> 
> But if you have any scenes, you'd like to see that fit with the story, and AREN'T smut or lemon, etc., let me know! I'll consider them. I do have a plan on how they'll finally get together though.

**Author's Note:**

> This is based of a tumblr AU, if it seems familiar, and was also previously on my Tumblr. However, my blog is hidden now (for no good reason) and Ao3 seems more welcoming, so here it is. New platform! 
> 
> Thanks for reading and I appreciate any feed back!


End file.
